Expressions in Bronze, an original art exhibition displaying beautiful bronze sculptures and artwork by three unique artists, opened on Oct. 28 in the Art Gallery at Cosumnes River College.

The art exhibition presented a variety of shapes, figures and styles conveyed into bronze sculptures. The exhibition’s curator and director of the gallery, Art Professor Yoshio Taylor, said he contacted the owner of Frostad Atelier Foundry, Ronnie Frostad, to ask if she would like to contribute to an exhibition of bronze sculptures. Frostad accepted and recommended two other additional bronze sculptors, Jack Shaw and Ed LaBranch.

“It’s a really special opportunity for students to be really exposed to that type of work where they don’t really have to go to a San Francisco museum or even The Crocker, ” Taylor said.

Frostad opened her foundry for business in 1998 and then moved to a much larger facility in Sacramento five years later. Frostad devotes time and attention individually to a client’s needs in order to produce a bronze sculpture they envisioned, according to the art exhibition’s booklet.

Essie Bauldry, 26, a pre-nursing major, was working at the gallery during the show’s first week.

“It is very interesting to look at,” Bauldry said. “You can definitely tell that they are trying to express their emotions.”

Shaw said that he would like students to go in deep exploration into his pieces as they can represent several things such as choices and relativeness.

Shaw said that he hopes students will “find something in one of my pieces that would resonate with them and inspire further exploration.”

“Father and Child” and “Untitled” are pieces that are a part of Shaw’s work inside the gallery that belongs to his “Time Waves” series. Shaw said that both pieces have a wave pattern style that he incorporated as his series represents a passage of time that can correlate to nanoseconds or eons.

LaBranch has partnered with Frostad’s foundry to work with the talented artisans to create stunning and captivating bronze sculptures, according to the exhibition’s booklet.

Dean of Communication, Visual and Performing Arts Colette Harris-Matthews attended the opening reception of the exhibition on Oct. 28.

“What we try to do in the art gallery is bring a broad base of art exhibits so that students are fully exposed to the diversity of art that’s available,” Harris-Matthews said. “They really express the artist’s intent of bronze and the diversity of what you can do with bronze.”

Taylor encourages students, staff and people on campus to stop by the art gallery and take a look at the organic bronze sculptures.

“I always tell students to just go in there, first of all to actually step into the gallery, and don’t expect anything, just have an open mind, even if you’re not an art major,” Taylor said. “If they go in there and enjoy each piece, spend a minimum of 10 seconds, and see if you feel any kind of connection with the work.”

The exhibition is open until Nov. 30 from Monday through Thursday between 11 a.m – 5 p.m.